The quirky universe of the World Travel Market

You need a refuge, comfy shoes and plenty of stamina to get the most out of the World Travel Market … It’s like a giant sweetie shop, where the temptation to overdose on all those treats is almost overwhelming. The experience starts well before you get there – the journey to the Excel Centre on the (mostly) reliable Docklands Light Railway gives some indication of the multi-cultural experience ahead of you. Crushed up close and personal to a Brazilian dancer, a Maori chieftain and a kilted Highlander in full kit you start to realise this is going to be an anything but ordinary day.

This year was my first visit to the WTM; fortunately I was going with an ‘old hand’, Lynne Grey of That’s PR, who has worked in the travel industry for many years, been here lots of times and could help with advice on what to see, who to visit and pass on wise counsel about RnR what when feet started to complain too violently!

Here’s what WTM says it’s all about:

“The World Travel Market is the leading global event for the travel industry – it is a vibrant must attend four-day business-to-business event presenting a diverse range of destinations and industry sectors to UK and International travel professionals. It is a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.

By attending World Travel Market, participants efficiently, effectively and productively gain immediate competitive advantage for their business and stay abreast with the latest developments in the travel industry.”

That definitely doesn’t catch the buzz, vibrancy and fun of the event – dull corporate-speak never does, so here’s a glimpse of some of the sights and sounds of a newbie’s 1st visit.

Walking into the cavernous, modern, echoey entrance to WTM was the worst bit – the brusque treatment on the Press Registration Desk was not a good ad for the organisers – first impressions really DO count guys! Fortunately, once the lanyard & plastic pocket was firmly in place things got 100% better as I gazed down the hall at the enticing signs tempting us to visit the whole world under one roof.

An Indonesian dancer gracefully twirling elongated fingers to the sound of the Gamelan

Infectious Irish enthusiasm on the Belfast stand for 2012 opening of the Titanic Experience

Having a colourful band clamped to my wrist by a laughing lady (Ecuador?!) in an enormous orange dress

The intense concentration on the face of a man carving intricate whorls into a large Thai fruit

Being tempted by the taste of Soul Food in Serbia and the passion of their PR guy for a Gourmet Food trip

Watching a teenage student getting her hand hennaed by an Indian woman in a teal blue sari

The immaculate luxury of the no-expense-spared space in the strangely soulless Abu Dhabi & Dubai area

Cocktail shaking and laughter in the Caribbean

Discussing the unique culture and hanging monasteries of Bhutan and dreaming of a trip there some day

Having got a Press Pass we were able to use the facilities of the Press Lounge area, a godsend as a place to meet fellow travel bloggers and other media people and relax over a coffee and Danish pastry (VERY stodgy – Denmark would be ashamed to be associated with it!), write up a few notes and just rest those aching feet. I had just got my hands on the very new, uber-cool Eeepad Slider – the latest tablet from Asus (with a built-in QUERTY keyboard!) so I was able to show it off to fellow writers and have a play with the nifty widgets and Apps. There was also a good selection on press material, newspapers and other material to keep up with the outside world.

As well as all the stands there are seminars, workshops, press briefings and media events where specialists “delivered unmissable expert advice and key industry knowledge.” We were unable to get into most of the Social Media events as there was huge interest this year so most of the sessions were full ages before they were due to start. (Another highlight was an outraged Aussie guy yelling at the patronisingly powerful door keeper about the appallingly dreadful organisation – only he used slightly more colourful language …) I did go to some really interesting and useful talks – and some rather dreary ones too. That’s for another post.

As a thank you to their team of Super Bloggers, Visit Britain had laid on an evening dinner cruise with Bateaux London along the River Thames. What a treat – beautiful surroundings, great company, delicious food and some of England’s most iconic sights drifting past the window like a slow movie reel. The high points were passing the golden Houses of Parliament and slowing down by newly-painted, brightly lit Tower Bridge to a crescendo of ‘Zadoc the Priest’ – brought a patriotic tear to my eye …

At the end of a long, tiring day of sensory stimulus, you need somewhere comfortable to chill out; Lynne and I were very lucky to be offered the really fab Isis apartment in Canary Wharf. With two huge bedrooms, a well-stocked kitchen (we never did figure out how to work the coffee machine) and full services it had all the benefits of a hotel with the advantages of luxury of self-catering. Sitting on the balcony sipping our welcome bottle of wine, we could look out over the the river and the pointy pyramidal building (Canada Tower?) …. and the O2 Arena almost within touching distance, unwind and relax, whilst still being right in the heart of things.

Back at my desk at home, I’ve been slowly going through all the business cards, leaflets, brochures and quirky souvenirs I brought back, following up on interesting contacts, new and old friends and quirky ideas, starting to adapt my business based on all the excellent information learnt recently. Yesterday a fellow travel blogger, who hadn’t made it, asked if I’d be going back next year. Well … what do you think?

If you’d like to see more photos from WTM the check out The Quirky Traveller Face Book WTM Photo album. if you have been to WTM or want to go next time, do share your thoughts, tips, photos and reflections.

16 Responses to “The quirky universe of the World Travel Market”

So many other things happened at WTM – hope to write up some of the business ideas that it inspired another time. Enjoyed reading this article from a fellow Travel Blogger about how bloggers are being taken more seriously now

Heady stuff having a good part of the world under one roof – nicely captured in your A-J. And yes, it’s always the people with a passion for their place that inspire. There are some photos and mentions of the people who caught our attention at World Travel Market 2011 here http://theonlinetraveljournal.com/wtm-2011/

Cheers Sheila. Although many visitors were there for the workshops and talks, I was most taken with the people and how their stands represented their countries. Nepal had a lovely little corner cafe where people could sit, relax and have a drink – a haven and a friendly place that reflects so much of that beautiful country.

Love your article Diane – I can see we share the same delight in the sights and sounds from around the world. As a first timer I had no idea what to expect: next year I shall be more prepared but hopefully will still be amazed and delighted by the entrancing atmosphere that is the World Travel Market

Thanks Zoe for sharing your experiences. You were fortunate to have Lynne as your guide as she really knows how to get the most out of WTM. What pleases me is the way that more and more destinations are finding ways of expressing their differences and moving away from standard or fashionable exhibits. It’s the quirky that attracts (funny that!) and, as Sheila says, it’s the personalities that really stand out.

Yes, Anna, Lynne was a very good person to see round WTM with – and share a lot of laughs! What I felt could be made more of at WTM was the personal experience of travel. The stands that had activities, interaction, smiling welcoming people were the ones that had the most visitors, irrespective of where in the world they were …

I absolutely love my Eeepad Slider … It’s got a good interface, v bright screen so photos & videos look fab, and the built-in QWERTY keyboard is a real bonus compared to an iPad as I find it much easier to blog/write on it then using the touch screen.http://www.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_Pad_Slider_SL101

I’m new to Android and that was the biggest challenge at first. Initially I was trying to get it to work like Windows but once I got my head round the fact that this is like my iPhone only much bigger and better then it was fine.

I’ve only had it 2 weeks bu am taking it with me on my next blog trip to London NOT my netbook, which I have travelled with for 3 years … so fingers crossed it will do the job and more!

Great piece, Zoë. A fine reflection on the tumult at ExCel. Like you, I was a first-timer, but had been given excellent advice by those with more experience. I went in with a relatively full agenda of meetings and get-togethers. For power, the power of something like the WTM, in addition to the gathering of cultures, is the gathering of superb people (bloggers, journalists, PR people, industry, government) all under one roof. After years of cyber correspondence, I was at last able to put faces to names… and make new friends (like you). Real smiles and audible inflections are *so* much more meaningful than emoticons!